The present invention relates to containers for holding fluids. In particular, the present invention relates to a hand-held container with an inner surface adapted for use with roller brushes.
Hand-held vessels, containers, or trays are utilized for carrying a variety of materials or fluids. Typically, a handle is provided, which allows a user to carry or hold the container without the user contacting the fluid therein. This is particularly beneficial in the case when the fluid is toxic or hazardous to a person's skin. A portable, hand-held container is useful in many commercial or household applications, and is especially useful in painting applications.
In the field of painting, there has long been a problem as to how to comfortably hold and carry a quantity of paint and a tool (e.g., a paintbrush or roller brush) for an extended period of time and on an unstable surface, such as while climbing a ladder, working off of a scaffold, or while standing on the roof of a building. One approach to this problem has been to use a light-weight paper bucket capable of holding around a gallon of paint. These buckets, however, have no handle and must be gripped with the thumb and fingers by the rim and side, which is tiring, or they must be cradled against a user's body (e.g., in the crook of a user's arm) which is awkward and inconvenient.
Another approach to the problem is to use a conventional bucket with a bail-type handle. This approach, while affording a more versatile mode of holding a paint bucket, is awkward for dipping a tool into the paint when the bucket is being suspended from the handle since the handle and the user's hand tends to be in the way. This is particularly true for roller brushes, which tend to be larger than conventional paintbrushes.
Tray-type containers are typically used with roller brushes, due to their wide openings and textured surfaces suitable for rolling the roller brushes. However, tray containers are difficult to carry, thereby increasing the likelihood of inadvertently spilling paint during the painting process.
Accordingly, readily-portable conventional hand-held containers are difficult to hold in close proximity to the user's other hand or work area without exerting considerable effort. As such, there is a need for a comfortable, stable, and secure hand-held container for retaining, holding, and dispensing fluids or other loose materials, without exerting considerable effort.